Échery, Le Petit Brézouard, Col des Bagenelles

Exploring the old mines of the village of Échery and its Clock Tower. Climb to the summit of the Grand Brézouard and enjoy its 360° panorama of the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines valley and the Vosges ridges.

Details

92635632
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 22.62 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 9h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,112 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,113 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,206 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 418 m

Description of the walk

Park at Place des Mineurs.

(S/E) Head towards the Tour de l'Horloge, cross the bridge over the stream, and arrive at the tower.

(1) Follow the Yellow Cross markings, heading straight on, then turn left to follow the path which winds its way up a series of hairpin bends.

(2) Cross a forest track and rejoin the path opposite. Do the same again about a hundred metres further on, following the Yellow Cross markings.

(3) Take the nature trail on the left. You’ll come out onto a forest track; follow it to the right for about 350 m, then turn back onto the path on the left. Cross another path, go straight on and join the Chemin de Rauenthal.

(4) Head right and arrive at the old mines.

(5) Continue along the Chemin de Rauenthal towards Petit Brézouard. Follow the path up the valley, turn left and walk for about 600 m before turning right at the hairpin bend and joining the path marked with a Red Rectangle crossed by a white line.

(6) Head left, crossing a first forest track, then a second.

(7) Turn left, following the forest path to the next junction.

(8) Turn right towards Petit Brezouard, following the Red Rectangles.

(9) Turn left and take the GR®5 marked with Red Rectangles.

(10) Turn left, following the GR® markings, and arrive at the Haïcot refuge.

(11) Continue on the GR®. At the next junction, first turn right then left, following the markings; continue along the south-westerly path.

(12) Leave the GR®5 temporarily by taking a track on the right; further on, head left to rejoin it and follow it to the Col des Bagenelles.

(13) Cross the D48 with care , follow it to the right for a few dozen metres, then head towards the Graine Johé farmhouse inn on the left, following the Blue Triangle markings. Continue past the farmhouse to descend to the D148.

(14) Turn right onto the D148 and follow it carefully until you reach the Col du Pré de Raves.

(15) Turn right towards the Roche des Fées to admire the rock and the view, taking a short detour to the right.

(16) Return to the path, continue the route by turning right, and rejoin the GR®531. Continue to the right until you reach a star-shaped junction where numerous paths cross.

(17) Leave the GR® for a moment to take the path that descends to the right, rejoining it further down.

(18) Follow it to the right to reach the Carrefour de la Liberté and its tree.

(19) Turn right onto the path marked with a Red Disc, heading towards the casemates and the cave. You will reach a three-way junction in the path.

(20) Head left, following the Red Disc markings, and reach the three-way junction at Côte d’Échery.

(21) Keep to the right and follow the Red Disc markings. Walk for about 1.4 km.

(22) Turn right, come out onto a forest track, and follow it to the right, up to the 528-metre mark, keeping to the Red Disc markings.

(23) Leave this track and follow a path on the right which descends through the meadows and leads to the first houses in Échery.

(24) Turn right to return to Place des Mineurs and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 423 m - Échery, Place des Mineurs - Lièpvrette (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.14 - alt. 433 m - Tour de l'Horloge (Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines)
  3. 2 : km 0.8 - alt. 573 m - Forest road
  4. 3 : km 1.24 - alt. 689 m - Turn left at the fork, nature trail
  5. 4 : km 2.42 - alt. 534 m - Rauenthal Path
  6. 5 : km 2.92 - alt. 582 m - Former silver mines
  7. 6 : km 5.95 - alt. 991 m - Junction: Red Rectangle crossed out in white
  8. 7 : km 6.83 - alt. 1,096 m
  9. 8 : km 7.63 - alt. 1,096 m
  10. 9 : km 8.85 - alt. 1,166 m - Turn right - Brézouard
  11. 10 : km 9.49 - alt. 1,078 m - Junction with the GR®5 - Refuge du Haycot (Sainte Marie aux Mines)
  12. 11 : km 9.93 - alt. 1,101 m - Mountain hut
  13. 12 : km 11.6 - alt. 1,012 m - Leave the GR® trail, turn right
  14. 13 : km 12.53 - alt. 904 m - Col des Bagenelles
  15. 14 : km 13.74 - alt. 976 m - D148
  16. 15 : km 14.36 - alt. 1,008 m - Col du Pré de Raves
  17. 16 : km 14.96 - alt. 997 m - Fairy Rock
  18. 17 : km 16.01 - alt. 954 m - Path on the right
  19. 18 : km 16.79 - alt. 934 m - Return to GR®
  20. 19 : km 17.29 - alt. 906 m - Place de la Liberté
  21. 20 : km 18.93 - alt. 755 m - Three-way junction
  22. 21 : km 19.88 - alt. 695 m - Échery Hill
  23. 22 : km 21.25 - alt. 600 m - Turn right
  24. 23 : km 21.73 - alt. 528 m - Abandon Red Disc, on the right
  25. 24 : km 22.35 - alt. 419 m - Entrance to Échery
  26. S/E : km 22.61 - alt. 423 m - Place des Mineurs

Notes

Petit Brézouard Shelter.

(11) Haïcot Refuge.

La Graine Johé farmhouse inn at Col des Bagenelles.

(19) Shelter near the Tree of Liberty.

Worth a visit

(1) The Clock Tower in Échery.

(5) The old silver mines.

Le Petit and Le Grand Brézouard.

(16) The Fairy Rock.

(19) The Tree of Liberty.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello Ced54
I’m keeping an eye on the update to your hike: route, description, etc.

I’ve just looked at your changes => please remember to: ensure the waypoints match your description, check the practical information, the waypoint labels, etc.

Thanks in advance

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Ced54
Ced54

I did see it, and we simply didn’t go that way. Whereas many of the hikers we met did brave the forbidden path. At first, I didn’t intend to publish this hike, but as I’m new to Visorando, I made a mistake. I’ll see about updating it.

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virgule
virgule

My view on these removed signposts: if it helps avoid crowds of hikers, so much the better. I’m not surprised that a lone hiker who knows their way around might go there on their own. But for Visorando to publish routes that pass through nature reserves – places we’re not supposed to go – I find that a bit much.

Don’t feel guilty; there are other routes here that follow this path, and despite the controversy, the authors aren’t changing them.

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lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello Ced54
I’ll be keeping an eye on the update to your hike: route, description, etc.
Thanks in advance

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Ced54
Ced54
• Edited:

I did see it, and we simply didn’t go that way. Whereas many of the hikers we met did brave the forbidden path. At first, I didn’t intend to publish this hike, but as I’m new to Visorando, I made a mistake. I’ll see about updating it.

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virgule
virgule

The path in question had its signposts removed in 2023. There is another route marked on Visorando that goes through there. Is this a deliberate disregard for the nature reserve, or simply a lack of awareness?

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

This route dates from March 2026. The path between Petit Brézouard and Grand Brézouard has been closed for several years. How could the author have missed this?

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tontonviki
tontonviki

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note: the path between Petit Brézourd and Grand Brézourd is closed to ensure the peace and quiet of the dace.

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